In the late nineteenth century, cannabis tinctures were widely prescribed for analgesic, sedative, and narcotic purposes: “It was used as the primary pain reliever until the invention of aspirin”[i]. Sativex is a sublingual cannabis tincture spray produced in England by Bayer Pharmaceuticals. It’s now available by prescription in Canada for MS, neuropathic pain, and as an adjunctive treatment for cancer patients. A nearly identical product produced by the VICS (Vancouver Island Compassion Society) called “Cannamist” has been available to their members for over ten years. The simple procedure of soaking cannabis in alcohol is no secret.

In simple terms, a non-polar solvent (ex. butane, water, olive oil) is what is widely used to extract oils in the food and health industry. Alcohol is a polar solvent meaning it will extract some of the carbon-based molecules and other ionic compounds from the plant, resulting in a wider spectrum of extractives from the material (including chlorophyll, cellulose, and waxes). It is preferable to separate the trichome heads from the plant bulk first to eliminate the number of non-medicinal compounds and sometimes the potentially harmful contaminants, that will be infused into the alcohol.

A standard ratio for dried plant tinctures is 1 gram for every 5 milliliters of alcohol. Higher percentage alcohol will extract more compounds, creating a stronger tincture. This along with the length of time the solution is left to macerate, in a cool dark place, will vary the potency of the tincture. 4-6 weeks is recommended but 2 weeks may suffice in an emergency. Shake the jar once a day. When your satisfied with the potency, any plant material can be filtered out and the solution stirred before being pouring into bottles for administration.

Due to many the conditions or medications for which alcohol is contra-indicated, the V-CBC (where I learned to prepare cannabis), avoid using alcohol altogether. Instead they are using a similar process over a longer time-period, with Glycerin, that is a sweet tasting substitute.

A spray or drop of tincture under the tongue will absorb quickly into the bloodstream through the mucosal membrane of the mouth. Although some will probably be swallowed, most will avoid the gastro-intestinal tract where the medicinal compounds are broken down by the liver. Administered using a dropper, one can monitor very closely their adequate dose.

In American states where dispensaries are licensed, Cannabis Based Medicinal Extracts (CBMEs) are screened for safety by certified third party inspectors like Steephill Lab, in Mendocino County. These private laboratories have assisted dispensaries in raising the standard of medicinal cannabis products. CBDscience LLC has developed three distinct cannabis tinctures: one “High CBD and low THC (4:1 ratio),” one “THC and CBD (1:1 ratio),” and one “high THC and low CBD (20:1 ratio).”

Tinctures are one of the many extracted cannabis products that were made available as a result of the Supreme Court of Canada ruling earlier this year.

Although not as productive as dry sifting or making water hash, hand rubbing is the most basic method of separating the medicinal trichome heads from the body of the plant. This important step is at the center of the constitutional challenge that I took to the Supreme Court of Canada in March of 2015. By separating the medicinal ingredients from the inert bulk of the plant, it is easy to produce a variety of edible and topical cannabis products for the wide-range of conditions that patients who use medical cannabis suffer from.

When one approaches a mature cannabis plant, it appears to be covered by a fine layer of whitish fuzz; when you get closer you see the fuzz looks more like a dense mat of small mushrooms. The mushroom caps (trichome heads) are sticky resin glands designed to catch pollen from male cannabis plants in order to reproduce. While the female plant matures, she produces more and more resin in an attempt to increase her chances of reproduction. The skilled gardener will ensure that the males and females remain apart so that no seeds are produced.

(close up view of the resinous trichome heads)

The thickening layer of medicinal resin will stick to anything that touches it and easily separate with a little friction. As you further fondle the flower clusters and resin covered foliage, the trichome heads will burst, releasing the encapsulated resin. The sticky resin will accumulate on your fingers until it becomes a dark malleable tar. This is an incidental form of extraction that occurs while the plant is being manicured. Often called “finger hash”, the collected resin will soon coat a pair of scissor blades, gloves and or a table top with the soft black tar, requiring a sharp edge to scrape it into shapes (commonly a ball or brick).

This method has persisted in cannabis fields across mountainsides in India, or under the African sun in Morocco or Malawi from ancient times up to the present day. This is the main method of resin collection in Nepal, where the cannabis plant has long been revered. Hand rubbing can draw the resins from a living plant without damaging it several times throughout the growing season, allowing the resin to regenerate. Interestingly, this gentle practice fits the concept of respecting all living beings that is inherent in Tibetan Buddhism.

(a Nepalese Temple Ball)

The resin provides the plant with protection from wind, low humidity and Ultra Violet radiation. At higher altitudes, where cannabis produces more of this protective layer, hand rubbed hash is known to offer a notable aroma and potency and is referred to as “cream”. Photo-Journalist Laurence Cherniak in his “Great Books of Hashish” documents the production of Nepalese Temple Balls which often include other medicinal plant resins such as opium.

If you would like to support the constitutional challenge to allow patients to access medicinal cannabis extracts please visit the Fundraising page; share it with your peers and donate if you are able.

Water hash is another simple way to extract the trichome heads from the bulk of the cannabis plant. This important step in obtaining the desired medicinal compounds without ingesting the bulk of the plant is at the center of the constitutional challenge that I took to Ottawa in the spring of 2015. Using simple and ancient techniques, similar to making dry sift hash, water or bubble hash is made using water to carry the medicinal trichome heads through the sieve or screen.

Before the dried cannabis is used it should be thoroughly inspected for debris: stalk and fan leaves should be removed leaving only flowers and the small resinous leaves that surround them. Bags with incrementally finer mesh sizes are placed one inside the other over a bucket. The water serves to carry the resin heads downwards in a cascade through the various mesh-sized “bubble bags”. Using very cold water or adding ice increases the brittleness of the trichomes, allowing them to separate more easily from the plant fibre. The ice also serves the mechanical function of knocking the heads off upon contact with the immersed plant material. Once the material is submerged it must be stirred to encourage the further mechanical separation of the resin.

In ancient China and Afghanistan, water washes were performed once the resin had been dry sifted to in order to purify it further. One of the drawbacks to using water to clean or aid extraction is that some of the terpenes (aromatic oils) produced in the trichome are water soluble and will be washed away. Terpenes don’t only offer unique scents and flavours but work together to compliment the effects of the cannabinoids. There is also the fact that once you get your resin wet, it must be dried properly or risk moulding.

One technique for drying is to freeze the hash before finely grating or “micro-planing” the hash evenly on the drying surface. It is important that the resin is spread thinly to facilitate drying. While keeping the maximum amount of surface area exposed is helpful for drying, it can cause your resin glands to degenerate. The THC in the resin will begin transforming into CBN while exposed to air, heat, or sunlight, offering fewer medical properties. The more it is exposed, the faster it will degrade. Using a cool dark dry room and employing a desiccant, such as thick cardboard, to absorb the moisture will prevent rapid degradation.

(Bubble Hash drying on thick cardboard)With the plant material and moisture out of the way, you are left with only the cannabinoids (hopefully some terpenes) and the plant wax shell that encapsulates them. By homogenizing the remaining medicine for laboratory testing it is easier to standardize precise doses for particular medical conditions. Please help me to recover some of the costs of my Canadian Supreme Court challenge for patient access to products derived from cannabis extracts.

I owe my introduction to preparing cannabis medicines to one woman, Gayle Quin. Years before I began my work as a cannabis baker at the local dispensary, I met Gayle at a series of Hempology101 student club meetings at my college. Gayle is the life partner of Ted Smith, founder of the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club. Over the course of a decade, Gayle assisted the V-CBC in expanding their edible and topical cannabis product line. Most of the recipes that I have previously shared with the Lift readers originate with Gayle Quin.

I am currently visiting Gayle at her home where she is bedridden from bone cancer. She has access to the most up to date, in my opinion, forms of cannabis extract including high CBD varieties processed through a CO2 extractor into tiny capsules. Gayle has a long history of medical conditions for which the use of cannabis and other herbs have played an essential role. She was one of four women who testified before the BC Supreme Court judge in 2012.

At a young age she suffered from dysmenorrhea, a little understood condition at the time, that causes severe menstrual cramps. She used medical cannabis to successfully treat this condition and bore two healthy sons. She was then diagnosed with hepatitis C which destroyed her appetite and made it difficult to sleep. After several surgeries were unsuccessful and her doctors had exhausted their options, she sought help from a local naturopath. She changed her diet and began eating lots of cannabis, 11 years later the Hepatitis C had disappeared.

Due to mercury poisoning, Gayle suffers from an intolerance to chemical products including many traditional medications. After the Hepatitis C treatments she became so chemically sensitive that she had to remove all of the plastic from her home and found it difficult to go out where someone’s deodorant or perfume would make it hard for her to breath. While confined to her home she developed her knowledge of herbs, kinestheology, acupressure, reflexology, and massage.

By using a combination of alternative treatments, she was eventually able to return to a normal life and soon began to protest the cannabis laws. Ted Smith and Gayle Quin united to fight prohibition but were destined to become much closer. When she began working at the Victoria Cannabis Buyers Club, not only did she improve the baking and expand the product line but Gayle provided valuable health tips to members who she spent a lot of her time speaking with.

Gayle insisted that all of the ingredients used in the club’s medicinal products be sourced organically and locally where possible. She replaced the white flour with a healthier whole wheat blend. She taught me how to make Ghee, which involves clarifying butter of moisture and non-fat milk solids. She introduced Lecithin to the infused oils to aid the body’s use of the oil-soluble cannabinoids by emulsifying them into a form we can use.

Gayle defeated breast cancer soon after she testified in the BC Supreme Court in 2012. However the cancer returned and spread to her bones. Recently her condition deteriorated, finding her in hospital; but today she is dancing in her bed: the cheerful, loving woman who began my journey to help people access medicinal cannabis extracts.

]]>https://owensmithe.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/gayle-quin-cannabis-medicine-woman/feed/1rainbowensmythimage (2)Juicing Raw Cannabishttps://owensmithe.wordpress.com/2014/11/16/juicing-raw-cannabis/
https://owensmithe.wordpress.com/2014/11/16/juicing-raw-cannabis/#commentsSun, 16 Nov 2014 16:31:22 +0000http://owensmithe.wordpress.com/?p=489]]>by Owen Smith Among the types of extraction that Health Canada continues to prohibit is juicing. When the leaves are processed through a fruit and vegetable juicer, a thick, dark green liquid is separated from the plant pulp. If the leaves are picked before the plant matures, the majority of THC will still be in acid form (see decarboxylation), producing no psychoactive ‘high’.

Dr. William Courtney is the co-founder of Cannabis International Foundation, who are helping pioneer a movement toward ingesting fresh, raw, non-psychoactive cannabis juice. When fresh, the plant contains a lot of the precursor Cannabinoids such as THC acid, which has recently been shown to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Dr. Courtney argues that by nourishing our endocannabinoid system, the juiced leaves and buds help the body function more efficiently, effecting all 210 human cell types.

In their short film “Leaf, ” Dr. Courtney and his wife suggest juicing 10 to 20 fresh leaves daily. Proposing a mix of one part cannabis juice with 10 parts carrot juice to counteract the bitterness, he suggests selecting leaves around 70-90 days after sowing, and drinking the juice three times a day. With this Cannabinoid-rich liquid, free of the psychoactive effects of THC, it is possible to increase the dose of Cannabinoids such as Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) 100 times. In an average baked cookie, the tolerated dose of THC limits ingestion of other Cannabinoids to about 10 mg. In the raw juice, one can comfortably approach 1000 mg.

Courtney claims that the medical benefits in the higher dose range (500-1000 mg) include anti-diabetic, anxiolytic, and anti-eschemic properties for heart disease. He is on a mission to obtain a United Nations consensus for cannabis as an essential dietary requirement for humankind. He refers to this cannabis-specific collection of therapeutic compounds as Conditionally Essential Cannabinoid Acids. On his Cannabis International website, he outlines his goals “to consolidate the science regarding the essential nature of the phyto-cannabinoid contributions to health maintenance and restoration. That akin to Essential Fatty Acids and Essential Amino Acids, there needs to be Minimum Daily Requirements established to guide worldwide adoption of raw cannabis as the single most important dietary element.”

To prevent somebody accessing a medicine that is free of any ‘high’ seems to lack any rationale, yet Health Canada continues to prevent medical cannabis producers and users from creating these THC free products. Oregon’s Brave McKayla is a 9 year old from Oregon who uses Raw Cannabis juice alongside a CBD rich cannabis extract to treat her Lymphoblastic Leukemia, you may never have seen a smile so wide (VIDEO). Liam McKnight is a 6 year old from Ontario who suffers from Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy. Under the current rules, he cannot legally access raw cannabis juice or a CBD rich concentrated extract, essentially limiting access to higher concentrations of these cannabinoid compounds. My constitutional challenge to legalize these extracts for patients will be judged by the Supreme Court of Canada in the near future.

Making a basic salve is just one step beyond preparing a topical massage oil. By stirring melted beeswax into an infused vegetable oil you can produce a semi-solid medicinal salve to rub into your skin. Combining the active ingredients in the infused oil with bees wax allows the preparation to remain on the surface of the skin longer, reducing the mess sometimes associated with massage oils. Salves are often used to localize medicinal effects to the area of need, such as skin lesions or joint pain.

As i discussed in the article on topical cannabis oil, Cannabinoids bind to CB1 and CB2 receptor sites in the nerve fibres, sweat glands and a number of cells present in our skin. Topical application provides a way for the cannabinoids to activate these receptors without entering the bloodstream and travelling to the brain, important if you don’t want to feel ‘high’. Topical application may provide sufficient relief in itself, or act in addition to eating or inhaling cannabis.

Dispensaries often offer cannabis massage oils and salves extolling their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and localized health benefits. They are most commonly used by patients with arthritis who find that applying topical cannabis to their joints allows them to loosen up enough to perform daily tasks. Other members have found cannabis salve helps other skin conditions including eczema, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis.

Elaborations on the basic recipe can be made by adding essential oils or using vegetable oils infused with other herbs. The V-CBC have created several different salves to combine the effects of cannabis with other herbs suited for specific conditions. A combination with arnica infusion is commonly used for circulation and stiff joints; aloe is added for skin conditions and burns; and essential oils are combined to create a ‘tiger balm’ style preparation for deep muscle pain. Using a very similar technique, the V-CBC make a Lip Balm using regular massage oil, organic shea butter, organic beeswax, and crystalized vitamin C.

Different herbs come with their own warnings such as Arnica, which should not be used on open skin or by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding (more). Some dispensaries have started using DMSO in their topical medications. DMSO is predominantly used as a vehicle for anti-fungal medications, enabling them to penetrate, not just skin, but also toe and fingernails. Extra caution is required when using DMSO, infections may occur where special care isn’t paid to ensure sanitary conditions.

]]>https://owensmithe.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/preparing-cannabis-salve/feed/1rainbowensmyth1. Salve TutorialRegular-Salve-e1413756011874 copyPreparing Cannabis Suppositorieshttps://owensmithe.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/preparing-cannabis-suppositories/
https://owensmithe.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/preparing-cannabis-suppositories/#respondTue, 28 Oct 2014 00:09:54 +0000http://owensmithe.wordpress.com/?p=477]]>A little known method of application, but one with a number of benefits, is the suppository. I recently interviewed V-CBC dispensary staff member Nicholas Fraleigh on Time4Hemp radio to talk about the introduction of the cannabis suppository to their medicinal product line. I have written previously about Pulmonary, Oral and Topical routes of administration: considering the many medical conditions that medicinal cannabis users are seeking to treat, a particular route, (or combination) may be more appropriate.

Suppositories are particularly helpful for people with gastro-intestinal difficulties, an impaired jaw or throat or whose nausea and vomiting prevent effective oral application. This route may also be suitable where restrictions on oral ingestion before and after surgery apply. But it needn’t be an option of last resort. Due to the large surface area available for absorption, rectal administration provides the most effective way for your body to take in the medicinal compounds.

Inhalation is the least efficient method offering 10 – 25% bioavailability; Oral around 20%; Rectal application can deliver around 50% – 70% efficiency with more predictable effects between different individuals. Suppositories avoid the gastro-intestinal system where metabolites separate and break down the constituent compounds. One of these metabolites is 11-Hydroxy-Δ9-THC, which is a psychoactive compound similar to Δ9-THC.

Oral doses can take up to 2 hours before their medicinal effects are noticed by the patient. There is the potential that your previous meal will effect the rate at which the medicine will take effect. Most people begin to notice initial effects of a suppository within the first 10 – 15 minutes after insertion. Impedances to absorption could include dehydration; the presence of fecal matter and cysts or tumours inside the rectal wall. While this may slow or prevent the compounds entering the bloodstream, the application of cannabinoids directly to those sites of concern may help to activate local endocannabinoid receptors.

Similarly to edible cannabis, the effects of a suppository are long lasting, often ranging between 4-8 hours depending on the individual’s physiology and tolerance to cannabis. The V-CBC provides three different strengths to suit their many members needs: a low strength dose for general maintenance; a high strength dose for breakthrough pain and a low psycho-activity dose made with 1:1 CBD cultivars. Nick has written an article outlining in detailed instructions how to insert a cannabis suppository, which is not as scary as you may think.

Suppositories are quick and easy to make. Utilizing the techniques outlined in previous articles, one can perform an infusion of cannabis in Coconut butter before mixing in Cocoa butter and portioning it into small rounded shapes (see above image). These can be individually weighed to help ensure consistent doses; then wrapped in wax paper, bagged, labelled appropriately and refrigerated out of the reach of children and pets.

Ingredients:
Organic cocoa butter
Organic coconut butter infused with the inflorescences (flowers) of different cultivars of cannabis including CBD+.

During my constitutional challenge for cannabis extracts in 2012, the federal government made the argument that the only difference between chewing the dried inflorescence (buds) and making an edible is that cookies are tasty. Tastiness doesn’t serve a medical purpose and certainly isn’t protected as a constitutional right. The Judge rightly saw through this argument particularly because one of the products I was making, which all the patient witnesses use, is a flavourless cannabis oil infused gel capsule.

The capsule (named Ryanol after a former baker) is filled with a cannabis infused grape seed oil. Olive, hemp, and coconut oil are also used as a base for capsules, each helping to facilitate the bodies’ absorption of the fat soluble cannabinoids. Capsules are small and easy to swallow. The similarity of capsules to pills makes them more accessible to patients and doctors familiar with conventional medical approaches: people who understandably don’t consider a cookie to be a medicinal tool.

(Picture of capsules being filled with oil in a capping tray)

Ryanol is the lowest dose capsule available at the V-CBC, offering a way for patients unfamiliar with eating cannabis to ease their way into it. Ryanol fits with the axiom of “Dose low, Go Slow”. By starting out with a small amount, a patient can more carefully titrate their dose to their desired level. The V-CBC’s cannabis capsules contain 0.75mL of organic oil infused with the specific active ingredients needed to achieve the desired effects.

Patients can have a variety of dietary requirements including sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free that prevent them from indulging in common cannabis edibles. The simplicity of the infused oil capsules make them the mostly widely accessible product at the club. Additionally, by using dry sift hash from different cultivars, they reduce the presence of non-medicinal ingredients, enabling an even more precise measurement. Each capsule has been infused with 100mg of the active ingredients from a selection of cultivars including Sativa, Indica and CBD dominant plants.

(the variety of infused cannabis oil capsules offered by the V-CBC dispensary)

The V-CBC now make 9 capsules that are designed to occupy the spectrum of strengths and effects their membership seek. Patients report that by eating just 1 or 2 of these capsules, 1 to 3 times a day, they can achieve relief from pain, nausea, anxiety (including anxiety exacerbated by THC) and muscle-spasms without feeling high or having undesired side effects. The club receives donations of leaf from their long-term growers and collects the stems that are removed when the dried buds are sold: reusing these to make affordable low strength infused oil capsules.

With a capping tray and a bag of gel caps, it can take under ten minutes to make 100 capsules. it is important that your capping tray is completely dry, any moisture will cause the gel capsule to melt, which can get messy. After removing the cap and placing it into a hole, use a syringe, (or a squeeze bottle with a narrow spout) to fill the capsule with infused oil. It takes a steady hand to avoid making a mess before carefully putting the little caps back on.

During the past three blogs I have swept over the history of cannabis extracts to show that simple extraction techniques were common knowledge among medicine makers in ancient times. From Taoist sages to the Queens personal physician; from Egyptian Papyri to the labs of modern scientists at L’Oreal: the lineage of cannabis extraction offers up many potentials for the future of our relationship with this bountiful plant. The discovery of the endocannabinoid system has uniquely linked cannabis to the health of all vertebrates since time immemorial.

I am acutely interested in the future uses of cannabis as over the past 5 years I have been attempting to relay the critical importance of basic extraction for any cannabis based medicine in court to the Canadian federal government. My victory in court in 2012 was recently upheld by the BC Court of Appeal, which has given the government 1 year to regulate the production of cannabis extracts. The government claims that due to the lack of double-blind, blue-ribbon, placebo-controlled, clinical trials, cannabis is not proven safe. My expert witness, Dr. David Pate suggested that “cannabis has undergone a multiyear open-label clinical trial by virtue of being in such popular use both medically and recreationally for an extended period of time, essentially hundreds of years.” (source)

At the same time as my trial, extracts were becoming widely available in the United States. With two states (and more to come) now permitting their legal production for recreational use, the future of cannabis culture is about to be blown wide open. Among recent revelations are the use of cannabis extracts for various emerging forms of cancer and epilepsy as well as it’s superior nutritional value when juiced raw. A 9th century Arabic compendium of pharmacology recommended the use of cannabis juice extract and the renowned Arabic physician Al-Kindi recognized the plants’ use for a condition known as ‘the trembling’ which resembles the recent revelation of its’ anti-spasmodic properties among children with seizure disorders.

Studies of sifted trichomes in Morocco and Afghanistan have revealed that “Cannabis fields in […] generations past would tend to yield equal proportions of THC and CBD.” The 1:1 ratio has become a popular choice for patients with epilepsy as cultivars are disseminated through the emerging distribution networks. The semi-cultivated cannabis of ancient times is probably closer to modern hemp than the indoor grown, manicured, feminized, seedless clones that have dominated the black market for decades.

In Canada, industrial hemp is grown specifically to contain very little THC, so it can’t get you stoned. However, hemp seed oil has been found to contain CBD and terpenes likely as “the result of contamination from glandular hairs during oil processing.” CBD is among many cannabinoids currently being explored for a wide range of medicinal effects. Although the levels of CBD within hemp seed oil are typically small, many health benefits may still be gained from its presence. A recent H.P.L.C. analysis indicated that the juiced leaves of Saskatchewan hemp contained five times as much CBD as THC and showed ten times as much CBDa.

The modern era has suffered from a failed global effort at cannabis prohibition which has stalled the cannabis culture while science and technology have advanced massively. 1 Billion grams of potentially life-saving medicine from this years Canadian hemp harvest will go to waste in the fields. Although setback by the destruction of useful cultivars at the dawn of prohibition, the hemp industry is utilizing the modern advances in science and technology that have it poised to grow beyond anything possible in ancient times.

A former U.S. Navy nuclear submarine technician designs and sells supercritical CO2 extraction machines that isolate the cannabinoid oils from the plant material (source) . While these machines are far more expensive than the Naptha and a rice cooker method used by Rick Simpson, they have zero potential for toxic solvent residue.

The supercritical CO2 extraction machine is currently being used to ceate concentrated oils from naturally grown hemp stalk and seed that contain high amounts of CBD. This oil is used to make ‘Real Scientific Hemp Oil’, which is an 18% CBD extract of hemp, administered in syringes. Dixie Botanicals science director, Tamar Wise asserted in 2012 that “the hemp oil we use is biologically created in hemp plants and our methodology isolates and extracts it”. Wise later criticized Dixie for using hemp that is “contaminated with microbial life, residual solvents and other toxins”(source). As detailed in my trial, CBD is stored in the head of glandular trichomes that protrude from the surface of the plant like blades of grass topped by beads of dew. The removal of the precariously dangling resin heads (called trichomes) from the plant prior to extraction greatly reduces the presence of contaminants that reside in the body of the plant.

Medical Marijuana Inc. in the U.S. are harvesting 1,000 Acres of European Hemp into 2,000 kilograms of raw hemp oil to be used in DixeX high CBD Hemp products. On their website, DixieX presents “A revolution in Hemp-Powered Wellness Products” (source) with a salve, a pill and a tincture “manufactured from non-THC, high CBD concentrate […] industrial Hemp products ranging from 100-500 milligrams”. These products can be shipped to consumers in all 50 states in the U.S. The FDA considers industrial hemp as a food or dietary supplement product and Medical Marijuana Inc. imports its raw CBD oil under approved tariff codes to its FDA registered facility.” (source)

Some of the elements needed to start a high-CBD medicine in Canada have been embedded in the developing hemp industry and medical marijuana movement over the past decade. In 2003 Canada grew 66,700 acres of hemp. CMH biotech, who currently test for THC levels in hemp, have been developing analytical methods to test other cannabinoid compounds, including CBD (cannabidiol), CBN (cannabinol), CBG (cannabigerol), CBL (cannabicyclol), CBC (canna- bichromene), Δ8-THC, THCV (Δ9- tetrahydrocannabivarin), and their acid forms.

(Manitoba hemp harvest under mandatory inspection for THC)

Creating CBD-rich products just became a recognized charter protected right for federally registered patients in Canada. Licensed Producers under the MMPR have laboratories to test the purity and potency of their products and many are invested in Research and Development. I see potential for the medical cannabis industry in utilizing the rolling fields of industrial hemp. With ingenuity and modern technology, farmers may someday be able to separate and collect mountains of hemp hash to be processed into clean and effective medicine.

A recent Canadian hemp industry report out of Alberta states that a “License to grow industrial hemp for grain or fibre is issued for one calendar year for crops of four hectares (10 acres) or more, and if cultivating for seed not less than one hectare. There is no minimum plot size for plant breeding.” The report also shows a gradual increase in hemp production in correspondence with the emergence of processing facilities and entrepreneurs to market and sell hemp products. On Apr. 1, 2012 Hemp Oil Canada Inc. based in Manitoba announced that it is first in the world to gain international food safety accreditation for hemp foods ( source ).

This plant continues to unfold medical wonders from its symbiosis with human beings. From the better-known effects of medical cannabis to the hidden secrets of raw industrial hemp, the offerings continue to emerge. With international support growing and people from all over the world uniting over our need for economic independence, industrial hemp shines behind the green high beams of the medical cannabis movement. When thinking of the tens of thousands of acres of hemp, whose leaves lay to compost, I am reminded of the passage from Revelation 22:2 and feel we are witnessing the return of this tree of life, where “The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations”.

]]>https://owensmithe.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/extracts-throughout-history-part-4/feed/1rainbowensmythExtract History part 43guQhpNAZ_LandingPageBanner_web1manitoba-hemp-crop-under-inspectionIndustrial-hempTopical Cannabis Oilhttps://owensmithe.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/topical-cannabis-oil/
https://owensmithe.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/topical-cannabis-oil/#respondMon, 13 Oct 2014 00:36:10 +0000http://owensmithe.wordpress.com/?p=448]]>One therapeutic principle is to apply a medication as close to the source of the problem as possible. One example is if somebody has a skin lesion, an anti-biotic skin cream is preferable to an oral dose. Oral doses are more appropriate for gastro-intestinal conditions as they coat the G.I. tract. Inhaled cannabis is preferred for immediate relief from acute conditions. Appropriate application methods attempt to maximize desired effects and minimize undesired side effects. For medical users the psychoactive effects are sometimes undesired as they may conflict with their daily activities. Patients find they can reduce the amount of cannabis inhaled or ingested by applying an oil externally, directly to the site of concern. This has the benefit of reducing the amount of cannabis delivered to the brain through the bloodstream, reducing the psychoactive effects.

Health Canada’s information for health care professionals contains some of the few studies on topical application. Studies measuring the nanogram per millilitre of THC in the bloodstream have shown that anywhere in the range of 7-29ng/mL is enough to produce the subjective “high” effect. (source) A study on trans-dermal cannabinoid delivery found that after an hour and a half exposure blood plasma levels reached only 4.4ng/mL. Permeation of cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) was found to be 10-fold higher than for Δ8-THC. (source) The consumption of a chocolate cookie containing 20 mg THC resulted in peak plasma THC concentrations ranging from 4.4 to 11 ng/mL, (source) barely passing into the psychoactive range. Studies on very weak cannabis (1.6% THC) when smoked resulted in mean peak THC blood plasma levels of 77 ng/mL, (source) approximately 10 times that of eating a cookie, and 20 times the topical administration.

(The red line Indicates the level of THC needed to produce the ‘subjective “high” effect)

While topical cannabis only minimally passes through the skin into the bloodstream, this doesn’t mean it’s ineffective. Cannabinoids bind to CB1 and CB2 receptor sites in our bodies, which have been located in nerve fibres of the skin, skin cells (keratinocytes), cells of the hair follicles, sweat glands, and other cells present in the skin. “Abundant distribution of cannabinoid receptors on skin nerve fibers and mast cells provides implications for an anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive action of cannabinoid receptor agonists.” (source) “It seems that the main physiological function of the cutaneous ECS is to constitutively control the proper and well-balanced proliferation, differentiation and survival, as well as immune competence and/or tolerance, of skin cells.” (source)

At the V-CBC where topical “massage” oils have long been available to members, the combination of a topical product with some form of internal administration is reported to produce greater pain relief than either on its own. Topical application reduces pain where it arises, while internal routes increase the brain’s resistance to incoming pain signals. Arthritis sufferers are the most common topical cannabis users, although members have reported rapidly healing third degree burns, experienced relief from eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and in one case cleared a poison oak rash. (testimony)

The fat soluble cannabinoids, soaked in vegetable oil and strained of the plant bulk (How to), create a simple and effective lotion.